This invention relates to the isolation of compound namely (xe2x88x92)-Olivil from a new plant source, Stereospermum personatum in good yield. It is proved to be useful and better antioxidant molecule than the presently used medicinally important lipophilic antioxidants Prubucol and xcex1-Tocopherol. It may have better therapeutic potential in inflammatory disease conditions, atherosclerosis, diabetic complications, cancer, hepatotoxicity and variety of disease conditions mediated through or fostered by oxidative stress and/or overt oxidative burden due to increased generation or under scavenging of free radicals.
There is a considerable amount of epidemiological evidence indicating association between diet rich in fruits and vegetables and a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer. It is generally assumed that the active principles contributing to these protective effects are nothing but primarily, the antioxidant phytochemicals.
Research in the past decades have accumulated enough evidence to show the beneficial effect of free-radical scanvengers/antioxidants as antimutagenic, antinflammatory, antiamerosclerotic, antidiabetic, antihepatotoxic, antiageing and in a variety of neurological disorders. The search for new antioxidant principles is becoming therefore, essential to improve the pharmacological treatment of pathalogical conditions related either due to free radical/oxidative damage or due to imbalance between antioxidant/oxidant homeostasis such as cataract, rheumatic diseases, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer""s disease and other neurodegenarative conditions.
The pharmacological approaches therefore have focused on the search of potential resources rich in antioxidant principles. The medicinal importance of plants bearing rich proportion of antioxidant principles is therefore becoming hot item.
Stereospermum personatum is a medicinal plant used in traditional Indian System of Medicine and is widely advocated in the preparations for diuretic, lithontriptic, expectorant, cardiotonic, aphrodisiac, appetizer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial dyspepsia, diarrhea, renal and vesical calculi, cough, asthma, hyperdipsia, haemorrhoids and hyperacidity disease conditions( Indian Medicinal Plants, Vol 5 p 192). It is further reported to possess antibacterial, antifungal, hypoglycaemic activity, and against p388 lymphocytic leukemic cells (Ind. Jour, of Exp. Biol., 1971,9, 100). Hence, it becomes pertinent to look for the molecules possessing such important biological properties. In this connection, the phytochemical investigation of Stereospermum personatum has been taken up. The applicants made efforts to the isolation of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil in good yield.
(xe2x88x92)-Olivil is known to possess several activities, which are shown in Table.1
The main object of the invention is to provide a novel composition containing (xe2x88x92)-Olivil and an additive, which is used as an antioxidant.
Another object is to provide a new source for obtaining (xe2x88x92)-Olivil in good yield.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a process for producing (xe2x88x92)-Olivil from a plant source namely Stereospermum personatum. 
Yet another object of the invention is relates to use of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil as an antioxidant.
Accordingly, the invention provides a novel composition containing (xe2x88x92)-Olivil and useful as antioxidant. The invention further provides a method for the isolation of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil from a new plant source namely Stereospermum personatum. 
In accordance with this invention, it has been found that (xe2x88x92)-Olivil is isolated from a new source, Stereospermum personatum in significant yield and it has been found that (xe2x88x92)-Olivil show antioxidant property.
Antioxidant compounds recently have attracted the attention due to their broad spectrum of activities in disorders of multiple origin viz., coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes, rheumatic disorders and inflammatory conditions where free radicals play important role. Much attention is being directed now to harness and harvest the antioxidant compounds from natural resources.
The compound (xe2x88x92)-Olivil is used in pure form. Hence, the usage may be more advantageous than a mixture of compounds having similar properties, which are in current use. It is also important to note that the process of isolation of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil is highly economical.
The present invention provides a useful source, Stereospermum personatum, comprising antioxidant principle of which (xe2x88x92)-Olivil is isolated as pure and potent antioxidant molecule. (xe2x88x92)-Olivil has been compared with existing pharmacologically/therapeutically accepted antioxidant Probucol and alpha-tocopherol. It is found that (xe2x88x92)-Olivil is better than the above mentioned reference drugs and hence may be used with pharmaceutically/therapeutically acceptable additives.
In an embodiment of the present invention, (xe2x88x92)-Olivil may be effective in much less amount than the reference drugs mentioned above.
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a composition useful as antioxidant, said composition comprising an effective amount of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil in combination with or associated with a pharmaceutically acceptable additives.
In another embodiment of the invention, the pharmaceutically acceptable additive is selected in such a manner that it does not affect or interfere with the efficacy of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil.
In still another embodiment of the invention, the additive is selected from nutrients such as carbohydrates, sugar, proteins, fats and pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil to the additive is in the range between 0.1:10 to 3:10, preferably 0.4:10 to 2:10.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the amount of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil administered is in the range between 300 mg to 400 mg per dose at least twice a day
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the composition is administered through oral route in the form of tablets, capsules, syrup or powder.
One more embodiment of the invention relates to a process for isolation of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil from the plant Stereospermum personatum said process comprising the steps of:
a) extracting a dried wood powder of Stereospermum personatum with hexane;
b) further extracting a residue from step (a) with chloroform;
c) concentrating the chloroform solution from step (b) under vacuum;
d) absorbing a dark brown extract on a silicagel (60-120 mesh) and loaded on a silicagel (60-120 mesh) column (4 cm dia to height of 100 cm);
e) eluting die column wit chloroform methanol gradient, and
f) collecting an eluted fraction wit 4% methanol in chloroform and concentrating the fraction to obtain pure (xe2x88x92)-Olivil.
In another embodiment of the present invention, solvents used are selected from the group of hexane, chloroform and methanol.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a yield of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil obtained is about 0.073% of a dried plant material.
One more embodiment relates to use of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil as an antioxidant or free-radical scavenger for animals and human beings.
In yet another embodiment relates to use of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil for the manufacturing of a composition useful as an antioxidant.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, (xe2x88x92)-Olivil is administered orally.
Yet another embodiment of the invention relates to a method for the treatment of free radical scavenging, comprising the steps of administration of an effective amount of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil to a subject in need thereof preferably, (xe2x88x92)-Olivil is administered in the range of 300 mg-400 mg/dose, twice a day.
Stereospermum personatum hence is a new source for (xe2x88x92)-Olivil and its presence in this plant in good yields makes this invention more important. A comparison of yield (xe2x88x92)-Olivil from different plants is given in Table 2.
The present invention embodies isolation of (xe2x88x92)-Olivil, as antioxidant principle from a new plant source and identify its free radical scavenging property compared with medicinally important antioxidant drug molecules.